Impossible to create Moskvich car from scratch, int'l partners are needed - Moscow mayor

MOSCOW. May 26 (Interfax) - The Moscow authorities hope for assistance from foreign partners in the production of new car models at the former Renault plant, where cars under the Moskvich brand are now expected to be manufactured.

"We are not going to make old models, we are going to make the most modern models with a transition to electric cars. Of course, we will need international partners for this work because it's impossible to create a domestic car from scratch using only our own resources. But there are prospects, I hope we can do it," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said while delivering a lecture at the superfinal of the Leaders of Russia competition on Thursday.

The authorities "were very afraid of losing the plant, one of the best in the country, and, unfortunately, it happened, Renault said goodbye to us," Sobyanin said.

"But we still decided to try to keep this competence, we remembered about Moskvich. For some reason, a lot of people thought that we would make the old Moskvich model. Maybe it should be done for retro [purposes]," the mayor said.

The Industry and Trade Ministry press service said on May 16 the Russian assets of Renault Group were becoming state property of Russia. In accordance with the agreement that was signed, a 68% share of the French concern in AvtoVAZ went into the management of FSUE NAMI with an option of buyback within the next six years, and 100% of the shares in the Moscow plant of Renault Russia will be owned by the Moscow government.